The Bartender's Secret

I will admit that it has been a long time since I've read a Harlequin - not that I've actively avoided reading them - the books haven't crossed my path in a long time. I was instantly intrigued by the title because my boyfriend is a bartender and I though this would be a fun read. I loved the opening because it featured a beautiful young professor reading in the bar who catches the eye of the the bartender and pub owner. He assumes she is a student because they are in a college town and she looks so young. When she finally notices him she is smitten because he is built like a Grecian warrior and all the romance novels she's been reading has her heart pulsing. They start talking and soon she's a regular patron at his establishment. Connor is smitten but she's far too good for him, a man with a criminal background (he was young and dumb). The closer they get - the more he pulls away. Lots of college and parental drama from the professor and Connor is so stuck in the past that he's scared to let anyone down. A good story but I was VERY shocked (scandalized even) when I realized - SPOILER ALERT - that there isn't even one sex scene in this book!! Not one! Just some making out! This is the first in a series so it is possible they consummate their love later on. I just assumed with Harlequin that everyone was bumping uglies. No sex isn't a put off by any means - I was just surprised. Talk about a definite slow burn!

The Dating Plan

Cheesy, predictable, and over the top - that being said... still adorable and fluffy. When Daisy runs into Liam, the boy who stood her up from prom 10 years ago, she is instantly as enraged as if it had just happened. Even though he's even better looking - she's not falling for that again. When Liam sees the only girl he ever cared for, he's instantly gaga over her. They realize that they could both use each other to get their family off their backs and maybe in the process develop a real friendship. Daisy's aunties are all over her trying to set her up with a nice Indian boy and Liam needs to be married in order to inherit the family distillery. Could a fake marriage solve all their problems? This would make an epic rom-com movie. It's cute, geeky, and steamy. It's got all the tropes. Perfect for romance fans.  

The Duke and I

I'm so glad I finally read the book! Honestly I think the tv series follows it pretty well. They moved around a few scenes and added a few characters and small storylines to flesh out the show - but honestly I loved both the print and the film version. Obviously there is a very questionable consent scene that readers have to grapple with, but beyond that I really enjoyed the book. The Duke and I is a regency romance that shows what happens when two people who are "just pretending to like each other to get people off their backs" actually start to like each other. The Duke had an upsetting childhood and a horrid father so he has vowed the the dukedom will end with him. But then he finds that he really does love someone and agrees to marry her... but will have no kids so the line still ends. Is that possible? Will their love overcome such a hurdle? Wonderful. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. 

A Christmas Haven

I was hoping that Christmas would be more of a central theme and honestly Christmas didn't play into the story at all. Most of the novel takes place in summer and fall. Ivy Zook has decided that she is going to leave the Amish in order to pursue her dream of party planning. Her mother is devastated and begs her to wit a few months so as not to cause a scandal and ruin her sister's wedding and Ivy reluctantly agrees. When a Swartzentruber Amish man and pregnant woman crash a car into the storefront where Ivy's sister works her mother agrees to take in the young couple until the girl gets better. Things get even more complicated when they learn the circumstances that the two Swartzentruber are fleeing from. Ivy's problems suddenly don't seem so big - but she's still not willing to let anything get in the way of her following her heart. Again - pretty ok - was just in the mood for a holiday read. 

Spoiler Alert

Cute, nerdy, and unique. I loved this unconventional romance that centered on a game of thrones-esque fanfic community. April writes steamy fanfics featuring Aneas and Lavinia from the world famous show, Gods of the Gates. Her best friend is another fanfic writer but she's never met him in real life. If she only knew that her best friend is actually the star of Gods of the Gates and writes fanfics because he is sick of how the shows producers keep bastardizing the material. What would happen if they met up? Would steamy Marcus Caster-Rupp be attracted to April despite her size (she's fat and proud of her body) and would she be able to get past his looks and see the insecure man behind his beautifully sculpted body? A romance that deals with trust issues, self-worth, parental troubles, fat-shaming, erotica, and the fanfic community. Lots of fun and very original. 

What You Wish For

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. People have been raving about Katherine Center's books for a while now and I didn't get the hype until I finally doubled down and read one of her novels. I went into this novel blind (all I knew was there was a school librarian in it) so I had no idea if it was going to be funny, a romcom, serious, etc. Honestly it's a mixture of those three things. Samantha Casey has her dream job - she's a school librarian at one of the most fun and progressive elementary schools. Her icon, neighbor, confidant, and school principal has just died and to her surprise they announce that the new principal will not be Max's wife - but Duncan - a teacher from Sam's past. Duncan was her biggest crush - the coolest, funniest, most engaging teacher she ever worked with. Rather than deal with her emotions around him she found a new school and hasn't thought of him since. But now he's going to be the principal and things are going to change in unexpected ways. Heartfelt, engaging, and filled with fun quirky characters who are trying to make it through life. I will definitely read another one of Katherine Center's books!

The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

Absolutely charming! I loved the back and forth between two second born Italian American daughter (cousins Emilia and Lucy) and their great Aunt Poppy's romantic love story in the sixties. Their mysterious (and forbidden) great aunt Poppy takes Em and Lucy out of New York City to an all expenses paid trip to Italy. The goal of the visit is for Aunt Poppy to find her old lover on her 80th birthday and break the curse that plagued their family for generations. The curse says that all second born daughters will never find lasting love due to either death or heartbreak. It's been challenging growing up hearing that their whole lives but Em and Lucy decide to hell with it and embark on a crazy Italian adventure with a relative they barely know. It's romantic, it's crazy, it's fantastic. Wonderful plot and characters. I was definitely invested and thoroughly enjoyed the unconventional ending. I want more books about this family!

Merry and Bright

How is this not a Hallmark movie? Seriously. If Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas and You've Got Mail had a love child - Merry and Bright would be it's offspring. Merry is all work and no play she's got a few weeks left at her temp job and the overtime is killing her. She really needs the extra income so she can finish her last year of college and help out her family. She lives at home with her mother who has MS, her father, and her 18 year old brother with down syndrome - and due to all the extra hours she's been putting in at work - she hasn't even gotten to enjoy their company very much. As an early birthday gift her mother and brother Patrick buy her a subscription to an online dating service and fill out her page for her - instead of putting a picture of her up on it - they put a picture of their family dog. Their hope is that Merry will find someone who is attracted to her personality - rather than looks. To her surprise a man with a picture of his dog as his profile picture responds to her page and the two hit off. Soon the two are staying up late every night chatting. Will they ever meet and if so will they like what they see? 100% predictable and 100% sweet, charming fun. It's pure holiday fluff. 

Float Plan

I adored this book! I read it in one day. The characters were charming, quirky, and realistic. They were battling demons and weren't always the nicest to each other - but honestly - it was refreshing to see characters be so REAL.  Anna's fiancé tragically committed suicide nearly a year prior. Not only did his life end that day - so did Annas. She's been stuck inside her grief unable to cope for months. When she gets a reminder on her phone about a trip they were supposed to take together; Anna decides to be reckless and take the boat and do the trip on their sailboat solo. After one night of she realizes there is no way she can do all the island hopping by herself - she already almost crashed the sailboat in 12 hours and she still has over a month to go. She finds Keane, an experienced Irish sailor, willing to help her for free, in return for a trip to Puerto Rico. He's adrift in life as well - having lost his leg in an accident a few years prior. Once a sought after sailor - now he's reduced for begging for piddly little jobs to scrape by because most don't trust that he is able enough. At first Anna is still consumed by grief but soon she and Keane start making new memories; sunsets at sea, dolphins, weathering storms, and even finding a stray dog. Together they learn that even though the future may not be certain - the future looks a lot better when they're together. Utterly charming. A great story filled with unforgettable characters. You'll be rooting for them the whole way!

The Lucky One

Pretty typical Nicholas Sparks romance - I am glad I did not see the movie first because when I finished the book I looked up the trailer and I did not love the casting. I would have been sad if I read the book with those actors in mind. While serving overseas after 9/11 - Logan uncovers a laminated picture of a beautiful girl. He keeps it on him and suddenly his luck starts changing. He starts winning at card games - he makes it through numerous battles that his military brethren don't. He stays alive over there BECAUSE of that picture. When he makes it back stateside he is determined to find the woman in the photo. All he has is some geographical markers in the photo and her initials, but that doesn't deter him. He walks from Colorado to the East coast with his dog - to clear his mind and to escape his demons. He doesn't expect that he'll actually find her, but when he does he is blown away by her beauty and charm. He even starts falling for her little boy too. What he doesn't take into consideration is her conniving ex-husband. How can he get her to trust him and how on earth can he ever tell her the truth? Cute, sappy, and a little over the top. Memorable characters make it a fun read.

Rancho de Amor

Well written, but predictable and a little underwhelming. A New York City editor flies out to the wild west of California to find the reclusive bestselling romance author Loretta de Bonnair. Her pink covered book is sweeping the nation - everyone is reading it and it's the best selling romance book since 50 Shades of Grey. Her publishing house isn't doing too well and they think if they can tap into the romance market and snatch up this insanely popular novelist then they can stay afloat. The only trouble is they need to track her down. Catherine Doyle heads to the author's small western hometown and instead of an author finds a sexy cowboy with a swagger and a nerdy little bookkeeper. If only she could get someone who actually knew Loretta. She's not looking for love she's looking for her company's salvation. What if the answer to her troubles was right in front of her if she would just open her eyes (and her heart)? Cute, sappy, slow build with no kiss til the end. I could 100% see this being a Hallmark movie. 

Well Played

Charming, cute, and the perfect follow up to Well Met. In the first installment the author focuses Emily and her budding romance with Simon - in Well Played we finally get to see more of Stacey, the wild and fun best friend of Emily. Emily is bleach blond, flirty, fun and full of insecurities. She's stuck in a rut but she doesn't want anyone to know it. When she finds out that Emily and Simon are engaged she realizes that she needs a change. She can't live over her parent's garage forever. One night she drunkenly messages Dex - the sexy kilted man she slept with at the renaissance faire last summer and to her surprise he responds. What follows is 11 months of emails and texts as they get to know each other for real and start to fall head over heels. Only there is one big secret and when they meet up at the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire next summer their long distance romance may implode. Cute, charming, and fun - a few steamy scenes for those who are into it. I really hope there is another installment in this series focusing on April!

The Switch

 

Endearing, cute, witty, and implausible. A perfect feel good fluff read filled with quirky characters. Leena and her grandmother Eileen decide to swap lives for 2 months. Eileen has had a nervous breakdown at work (she's taken no time off after the death of her sister) and needs to have a nice breather in the countryside. Her grandmother Eileen is a recent divorcee who has never experienced London. The two will swap not only their homes but their phones and friends. Things are a little tricky initially but soon they are relishing their new experiences and adventures. Of course there is a little romance, a little intrigue, and a lot of fun. A very cute book.

Love Her or Lose Her

I really wanted to like this book because I so enjoyed the first one in the "Hot and Hammered" series but honestly this second installment was a let down. The romantic progression was entirely unbelievable, it was misogynistic, and did I mention unbelievable. This married couple has mind blowing sex - constantly - they've only ever been with each other and have never even flirted with someone else, let alone bone them. The sex is constant and amazing but they never talk anymore so the wife decides to get therapy to jolt them back to the way they used to be. UGH. I'm not even inspired to write anymore about this book - I'll still read the next one - but I did not care for this one.

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

So stinking cute! I grew up in the region and we LOVED going to Medieval Times in Chicago, Illinois -this young adult feminist, coming of age, romance is set in the same location! Careful never to actually call it medieval times, the book is still obviously centered around the same thing. Jousting, serving wenches, knights, broadswords - the whole kit and caboodle. Kit has worked in the castle for three years with her friends and family. Her older brother is a knight, her Uncle is the king (manager) and her two best friends are also there. She loves everything about it....  except that girls can't try to be knights - it's only for men. The only place up from serving wench is princess. Kit knows she is just as good as the knights - she's been practicing with her brother for years! During one of the shows, her brother lets her ride out in his place (helmet on) and she rocks the night - even becoming the champion. When she rips off the helmet and reveals she is a girl she becomes a viral sensation. But just because she's having a moment in the spotlight doesn't mean things are easy. Their electricity is turned off at home, she has a crush on her best friend, she's unsure how she'll pay for college, and she just wants to take care of her mom. A wonderful, witty, fun, and feminist read. Loved it.

Red, White and Royal Blue

I loved everything about this!!! The witty banter, the slow burn romance, the politics, the friendships. All of it! It was so well written! The quick and dirty summary is that the president of the first female president ever hates the stuffy, pompous grandson of the Queen of England. When they are forced to be in each other's presence for Henry's older brother's wedding they get into a scuffle and nearly start an international incident. They have to pretend to be best friends now to save face and in the process of being friends Alex decides that maybe.... Henry isn't all that bad after all. Adorable, super witty, emotional, and all around fantastic. I will read anything this author writes now. Instant fan!!

The Honey-Don't List

Is this book life changing? No. Is it hilarious? Yes. I read and loved The Unhoneymooners so I knew I was in for a treat when I picked this up. So witty, fun, and breezy this is the perfect beach read. Carey has worked for the Tripps for a decade and all she wants is time to rest. They have a TV show, multiple books and are America's home renovating sweethearts. The facade is starting to crack though and Carey's job is to help Melissa Tripps keep it together. James is Rusty Tripp's "assistant" and he couldn't be more different from Carey. They are like oil and water. When they are both informed last minute that their vacation's are cancelled and they have to go on a week long book tour with the Tripps and keep them from screaming at each other public they find themselves unable to avoid each other. And maybe it's the stress, but there seems to be a bit of a spark. Cute, charming, and hilarious. I loved every page of this!

Beach Read

I am head over heels for this book! This fluffy chick-lit book is exactly what I needed in my life. I laughed, I got emotional, I was totally invested. A romance author and a serious "literary" author find themselves in neighboring lake houses. They have a past. They can't stand each other. Or can they? They challenge each other to write a book that reads like something the other person would write. Witty and wonderful. I don't even want to give a detailed summary. Just read it. You'll be falling in love with the characters, their story, and their growing attraction. This is one I will recommend to everyone!

Dangerous Alliance

If you're a fan of regency novels, Jane Austen, and teenage romance you will eat this book up! Set early in the nineteenth century; this novel follows Vicky, a young well off lady who is disheartened that her life isn't more like a Jane Austen novel. She wants the romance and intrigue; instead she gets herself in laughably dangerous situations and her former childhood friend (now sworn enemy) seems to keep showing up at the right moment to rescue her. She can take care of herself, thank you very much! To make matters more complicated, her older sister is seeking a separation from her husband and in order to protect the family estate from her bully husband, Vicky must get married and do so quickly. Witty, charming, over the top, and so much fun. I hope the author writes more just like this.

Intercepted

A quick fluffy romcom, that I couldn't put down. Will this win any awards? No. Was this fun? Hell yes. Marlee is one lucky girl; she's the girlfriend of an NFL star and she gets to live in a palace. The downside is she has to live in said palace (god it's ostentatious and ugly), put up with the wives of the other team players (only one girl in that group is actually worth knowing), and work around her boyfriend's dreams and plans. Plus when the hell is he going to propose already? They've been together since high school? Everything falls apart when she discovers that her boy has been cheating on her for months and who is there to catch her? The teams quarterback, the man she slept with 4 years ago. Even though she's still attracted to him and vividly remembers how good he was in bed; Marlee swears off athletes. She's had enough of them. But maybe she'll end up changing her mind. Cute, quirky, fun, and steamy. I definitely plan on reading the rest in this series!